COAST TO COAST CLIMATE CHALLENGE MIDTERM STATUS C2C CC COAST TO COAST CLIMATE CHALLENGE

In , the thought about climate changes collaborate with each other, with local supply is not new. We have talked about the climate for companies, private companies and knowledge decades and we know what the major increase institutions collecting and analysing new knowl- in global temperatures will mean to us. We have edge and data on climate issues. already begun to see many of the changes. In The Coast to Coast Climate Challenge consists of Denmark, the climate changes will lead to larger 24 sub-projects on sea, fjord, streams, rainwater amounts of rain than we have been used to. Al- and groundwater as well as governance, tools and ready now, we see more and heavier rain all over innovation. We are halfway through the project the country. period and the majority all of the 24 sub-projects Residential areas have problems draining off the are ongoing and some have already reached their water, big and small streams overflow, agricultural goal. This report is a status of the progress of all fields are flooded and communities along the 24 sub-projects as well as plans until the project coast and fjords are hit more often by heavy is concluded in December 2022. storms and flooding. At the same time, sea and groundwater levels are rising.

All of the 98 municipalities in Denmark will some- how have to manage increasing amounts of water. The specific climate problems differ from one geographical area to the other, but the challenge is basically the same. Climate problems are, how- ever, heavy burdens to lift locally. Water knows no boundaries and it makes sense to solve the prob- lems in collaborations across municipality and city limits – and across professional boundaries. The C2C CC project is supported by the EU Since January 2017, the Coast to Coast Climate LIFE programme with DKK 52 million. Challenge (C2C CC) has gathered all municipali- The project runs from January 2017 to De- ties in in an ambitious cember 2022 and is a collaboration between climate project, which will strengthen the region 31 partners and 25 supportive stakeholders. when meeting future climate challenges. The EU Other stakeholders will continuously join funded project works with innovative solutions to during the project period. protect city and rural areas to create higher value for citizens. The 31 partners are primarily municipaliti- es in Central Denmark Region, local supply The C2C CC connects the majority of the munici- companies and universities. palities in Central Denmark Region and help them

C2C CC 3 C8 HÅB TO HÅB – MUNICIPALITY

The area between Glud Håb and Håbet south of who broadly represent the area from Glud Håb Fjord is a beautiful and attractive natural to Håbet have the opportunity to tell their own resort. Originally, the area consisted of sea and is- story and share perceptions of the problems they lands, but the area has since been embanked. To- encounter in the area. day, the area is pressured by increasing amounts Inspired by the Dutch tool 3Di, Hedensted Munici- of water from both the sea and two stream pality has developed a hydraulic model visualising systems; following a long period with heavy rain, how rain and sea water run through the land- the amount of water is already now breaking all scape. The municipality presented this visualis- records. ation at a meeting also providing a broad descrip- This is a huge challenge to farmers, summer cot- tion of the area. The many different stakeholders tage owners, permanent residents and compa- from the area had the opportunity to tell how this nies. Moreover, it limits use of the natural resort description and the visualisation of the water for spare time activities. are consistent with their reality. Do they see the has initiated the Coast to Coast Climate Challenge water collecting at the same places? project Håb to Håb, gathering all stakeholders in Stakeholders were invited to suggest solutions to the area to find common solutions to the climate be incorporated into the model. This process was problems caused by the water from both the sea supported by Aalborg University, which together and the hinterland now and in the future. with the other partners developed a method to The area from Glud Håb to Håbet is in many identify possible added value and include this in ways a historical area and it was thus obvious for solutions. Hedensted Municipality to collaborate with By connecting the suggested solutions to the to benefit from the knowl- technical model, it is possible for the municipality edge the museum has gained through the to assess which suggestions may be implemented. sub-project C24, Climate history | Cultural history. In sub-project C24, Moesgaard Museum and In this sub-project, Hedensted Municipality has University have studied the association attached great importance to listen to citizens’ between local identity and historical narratives, suggestions and find solutions that would create and how to use this association to engage citi- added value. It is important to stakeholders in zens in climate adaptations in the local area. the local community to benefit from the climate adaptation. Nature must be valuable for the local In collaboration with Moesgaard Museum and citizens and possible solutions should not only be several local museums, Hedensted Municipality focused on attracting more tourists to the area. started making a cultural history description of the area. They invited selected stakeholders and open groups to walk the fields and participate in bus trips where museum staff and nature guides told about the history of the area. The stakeholders

Scan to watch interview about C8 C2C CC 5 C9 THYBORØN CHANNEL AND THE WESTERN LIMFJORD

The area around the western Limfjord is one of level the fjord, the surrounding towns will be the most vulnerable areas in Denmark when it exposed to heavy flooding in the future. comes to climate changes. In heavy storms, the So far, the sub-project has been very focused on area around the Limfjord is threatened by flooding model calculations and simulations of the effect and in the surrounding towns the water level may of narrowing the Thyborøn Channel. The next be two meters above the normal level in rough step will be to launch and not least finance the weather. This will probably only be worse in the solution. The narrowing of Thyborøn Channel will future with increasing sea levels, frequent heavy amount to DKK 700 million and in the next phase rain and storms. of the project, different financing models will be Sub-project C9 is a collaboration between the investigated. It may be necessary to consider dif- seven municipalities around the Limfjord and ferentiated payment if the effect of the narrowing municipal water supply companies trying to find is not similar in all of the seven municipalities. common solutions to the climate changes in the Seemingly, the solution will not have an equally area now and in the future. In addition to working beneficial effect in Løgstør as in e.g. and across municipal borders, the sub-project also Thyborøn. In most areas, the water level up until stretches into North Denmark Region where 2060 can be maintained at the same level as today; three of the seven municipalities are located. this may, however, only be possible until 2050 in Løgstør. The 14 municipalities and supply com- In the first phase, the 14 partners in collaboration panies hope the government and other investors with the consultancy Rambøll have mapped the find it valuable to contribute to the project. This is effect on the water level of narrowing the channel one of the tasks they start to look into now. between Thyborøn and Agger. This has also provided an overview of the consequences for The next big step in the next project phase is to the environment and the nature of the western put out the tender. The partners must find an Limfjord. engineering company, but they are also looking for landscape architects to participate in the pro- If the sea level increases by 24 centimetre as ex- ject. Instead of just putting stones into the water, pected up until 2060, more water from the North which is the traditional solution, the municipalities Sea will be pressured into the Limfjord during hope that the construction can create added value storm surges. By extending the two groynes in for the citizens and tourists in the area. Thyborøn and Agger, the channel will be reduced to an opening of 250 meters. If the project is completed, the water level in the Limfjord will not exceed two meters up until 2060. If the municipal- ities do not do anything to keep down the water

Scan to watch interview about C9 C2C CC 7 C10 THE STREAM AND HINTERLAND

The Grenaa Stream is seven kilometres long and have worked with several hydraulic models. It runs through the area of and Grenaa has been a huge task to gather all the different and flows into the . Every day, the stream professions with expertise in specific areas such leads large amounts of water from the 466 as drinking water or watercourses. The different square kilometres of hinterland into the sea. In calculation models are combined to give as precise storms, the water from the Kattegat is pressured a picture as possible of the reality. In the first into the Grenaa Stream, the water in the stream phases of the sub-projects, the municipalities cannot flow out and Grenaa risks being flooded. have come closer to finding a useful model. Now they will investigate in which areas the model is This causes problems with sea water on the one correct and areas where more efforts are needed. hand and inland water such as rainwater, water- For instance, the municipalities discuss the model courses, ground water and surface water on the with a group of stakeholders who can tell if the other hand. The larger hinterland of the Grenaa calculations match their reality. It has been impor- Stream stretches through tant to the two municipalities to keep the project and . Thus, these two munic- as open as possible, and the advisory board is not ipalities have been collaborating on water issues a closed group. Everybody can contribute when across municipal borders for a long time. Also, in the group discusses how climate changes affect the Coast to Coast Climate Challenge sub-project the area. 10, the two municipalities are partners. When the model starts to fit the reality according In this area, there are many interests to consider to the stakeholders, the next step is to set up when municipalities make climate adaptations. some scenarios picturing the future climate There are several landowners already organised changes. The large amounts of water must be in drainage associations, wastewater companies stored somewhere when the stream is under discharging rainwater from the hinterland and pressure. By applying their knowledge to a useful the municipality as the authority maintaining the model, the municipalities can e.g. see where many small watercourses. Moreover, there are flooding would be adequate and where the water cultural interests, outdoor activity organisations, should definitely not go. Based on the technical ornithologists, anglers etc. Last but not least, models and contributions from the many stake- farmers cultivating the areas of the previous holders, Norddjurs Municipality and Syddjurs Mu- Kolindsund, which have been drained to create nicipality are ready to take the next step of draft- cultivation areas. The aim of the two municipali- ing an overall plan for managing water challenges ties is to involve all stakeholders in the hinterland in the future. to find solutions to the climate changes threaten- ing the area.

To get an idea of the location of the problems, Norddjurs Municipality and Syddjurs Municipality

Scan to watch interview about C10 C2C CC 9 C11 THE FJORD

When hurricane Bodil hit Denmark in December dikes? How will the water balance be affected 2013, the entire area around Alling Stream in by building a lock at Udbyhøj? Can the different Allingåbro was flooded. According to Norddjurs scenarios contribute to the climate adaptation in Municipality, the storm was the best-case scenar- the area? The municipalities have not decided on io considering what climate changes may bring in a specific solution yet. First, they move on to the the future. Hurricane Bodil was a taste of what next phase of the project focusing on including can be expected. pumping stations, politicians and the citizens affected by the flooding. Alling Stream is one of the project areas located in the eastern part of the Coast to Coast Climate As the first part of the project has been very the- Challenge sub-project C11. When sea water oretical, it has been important for the municipal- flows into the , it is difficult for the ities to involve the different stakeholders when stream to press out the water, which is a huge the models started to show something specific. challenge to urban and large rural parts of the Problems become far more realistic when e.g. the area. Water threatens both smaller towns around chairmen of the local drainage associations look Alling Stream and the fjord as well as the city of at a map and see for themselves how the large Randers, risking considerable loss of values. The amounts of water will affect them in the future. area is already mentioned in the EU Floods Directive as one of the particularly threatened flooding Being a part of the Coast to Coast Climate Chal- areas in Denmark. and lenge project, it has been possible to connect Norddjurs Municipality have collaborated on C11 to other sub-projects in the region, such as climate proofing the areas for years, and it was C16 on the Randers Climate Ribbon and C12 on thus obvious that the two municipalities became the Gudenå River. Together the municipalities partners in a Coast to Coast Climate Challenge have divided the project into stages deciding project. As a part of this project, the munici- which problems to solve first and which should be palities have received some calculation models solved later. It is also possible to see a combina- showing how the sea water will flood large areas tion of the projects where Randers Municipality around the Randers Fjord. The models make it and the Climate Ribbon already manage a part of possible for the two municipalities to plan how the water in the fjord to relieve the pressure in they together can prevent flooding of the area. the other parts of the area. Due to the collabora- tion in the Gudenå River project, the municipali- The municipalities keep an open process on how ties can share their calculation models and obtain to make climate adaptation. They now have use- a far more realistic picture of the climate chal- ful models and the next project phase will be to lenges they are faced with in the future. continue working with these models. They have e.g. brought an advisor onboard to set up different scenarios. What will happen if they e.g. close a drainage association or relocate some of the

Scan to watch interview about C11 C2C CC 11 C12 THE GUDENÅ RIVER

The sub-project on the Gudenå River is a collab- agricultural activities. The model can also show oration between seven municipalities along the how useful the solutions are and if they are cost Gudenå River and Utility Company. effective. To begin with, the size of the Gudenå River is a The Gudenå River model has an integrated no- problem in the area. The extreme flooding caused tification system informing residents and users by large amounts of rain in 2019 and 2020 have about the current water level; the model can made it obvious that the area needs climate also predict if the water level will increase. The adaptation. To make this adaptation, the munic- notification system can tell where the water will ipalities need to collaborate closely and develop spread in the landscape; this is information the an understanding of how to manage the water in landowners along the river are really curious the Gudenå River together. To prevent or manage about. flooding is not a task for the individual municipal- ity alone. By visualising problems and possible solutions, the stakeholders in the area find it easier to relate The major flooding caused by the Gudenå River to the problems and to be involved in finding solu- affects the many stakeholders in the area – resi- tions to the climate challenges. dents living close to the river, farmers cultivating the land along the river and the many others who The next step in the project is to introduce the use this unique area for recreational activities. final model to citizens and users and to make Moreover, the flooding damages roads, path sys- an overall plan for the area in collaboration with tems and nature areas. Although it is natural that authorities. the landscape changes because of water, there is also a risk that major natural values will be lost. In February 2020, the area north of was flooded and Svostrup Inn became known nation- In the first part of the project, the municipalities wide because it was drowning in water. This have collaborated with Danish Hydraulic Institute spurred the interest in finding efficient solutions to (DHI). The DHI has made a calculation model for the problems among local politicians and at national the Gudenå River which includes eight different level. The huge challenge is now to make a plan scenarios describing the effect of a number of cli- together to solve the problems and make it safe mate adaptation solutions. Many in the area have for the neighbours and users of the Gudenå River. been interested in finding out the effect of weed cutting in the river on the water level. Another scenario is to find out the effect of sand mining in the river. Applying the model, the municipalities have been able to map out as well as make risk and value assessments for all areas around the river. In this way they can find out which areas to protect and which should be exempt from e.g.

Scan to watch interview about C12 C2C CC 13 C13 THE RIVER STORÅ

When Central Denmark Region approached When it rains heavily in the winter, the munic- Municipality and invited them to par- ipality can store the water temporarily on the ticipate in the Coast to Coast Climate Challenge meadows of these two farmers. It is then possible project, the Storå River had just before in 2015 to measure the effect of the retained water and caused major flooding in city. It was not if it damages the surrounding areas. The project a new thought for Herning to collaborate with will also show what it takes to control the water. and -Brande Munici- The next step is to make calculations in the area pality to find common solutions to the problem in based on data from the project. the local area when water levels in the Storå River The three municipalities hope that a project increase. The Storå River is 104 kilometres long like C13 can inspire other municipalities and the and has a large hinterland. In case of heavy rain, government to work with similar types of climate the large amounts of water flows through Ikast- adaptation. The project shows that you can col- Brande Municipality through Herning and further laborate with farmers without spending a fortune on to Holstebro. Sometimes, Holstebro is flooded and without taking major agricultural areas out of and both residents and shops are threatened by production. the water. In 2015, Holstebro Music Theatre was damaged. Damages caused by flooding are ex- There are no animals on the meadows in the winter pensive and have major consequences for those and it will thus have no consequences for the living close to the river. farmers that their fields are flooded. The munic- ipalities can use the meadows to make climate The three municipalities know that they have to adaptations without burdening landowners finan- collaborate to find common solutions. It is no use cially. On the other hand, there is no reward for that ”send on” the water to the farmers by participating in the project; par- Holstebro causing flooding. Instead, the munic- ticipation is on a voluntary basis. The nature will ipalities have joined forces to find solutions to benefit from being flooded from time to time as it how to collect the water in open land. strengthens the biodiversity of the flooded areas. Already before the Coast to Coast Climate Chal- In the future, landowners may be compensated if lenge project was launched, the municipalities money is allocated through the National Budget. had contacted a number of farmers who were So far, the only reward is the joy of commitment committed to try to solve the problems with the and giving a helping hand. Storå River. Thus, is was obvious to start the sub-project C13 based on this collaboration.

In the northern part of Herning, two farmers have agreed to let the municipalities flood their meadows in a controlled manner. In these two areas, the water is either retained by a dam or in another way.

Scan to watch interview about C13 C2C CC 15 C14 HORSENS CITY CENTRE

Horsens was founded in the Viking age and is protection if elevated to 2.6 m - this is the level among the oldest cities in Denmark. At that time, local politicians have decided will protect Horsens the city was well protected from the weather against future flood surges. In addition to keeping located at the head of . Today, the the water from the fjord out, a road embarkment beautiful location by the water makes the city will also contribute to manage rain and water more vulnerable to climate changes. When the from streams inside Horsens city. water level in the fjord rises, the risk of flooding Overall, the municipality must keep one step of the city increases. ahead of the major changes in the city. In case of Two things make Horsens city particularly vulner- heavy rain, it is no longer possible to manage the able to climate changes. First, the watercourses water in the underground piping system. The new Bygholm Stream and Dagnæs Brook both flowing parts of the city must be planned in a way that through the city; second, the special terrain in collects rainwater e.g. in an area where it does Horsens. In heavy rain, the water collects at the not do any damage before channelling the water city slopes; the water flows down and collects in through the piping system. the low-lying part of the city. When the water level The municipality already has extensive knowl- in the fjord is high at the same time, neither water edge of flooding of the city and the first phase of from the streams nor rainwater can flow into the the project has been very focused on obtaining fjord, which causes flooding of the city. During a better understanding of the problems caused storm surges, the old part of the town is particu- by the water in the streams. In collaboration with larly vulnerable, while cloudbursts threaten the the water utility company, Horsens has designed residential areas causing flooding of houses and models which can calculate where the water will gardens. In sub-project C14, collect. This collaboration with the local utility works on finding out how to balance the increasing company has been decisive for the project as the amounts of water, which are already present in utility company has the systems and technical the city. know-how needed by the municipality. One of the things the municipality has to consider In phase two, the municipality will look further as a part of this project is that Horsens is a city into the storm surge problems and investigate that grows very fast. Many people currently settle how to manage the water in the inner city. More- in Horsens, and the municipality must ensure that over, the technical approach to the project is now the climate adaptation is adjusted to the develop- spreading into city planning departments to be ment of the city. When experiencing this growth, turned into specific projects. The big challenge is the infrastructure is challenged, and the city is that the city develops so fast that all climate solu- planning to e.g. establish a ring road. tions must constantly be included in the planning. In this connection it would be obvious to investi- gate if the ring road could work as a kind of flood

Scan to watch interview about C14 C2C CC 17 C15 CLIMATE ADAPTATION IN HEDENSTED AND TØRRING

Tørring and Hedensted both experience that rain- citizens possess the specific knowledge to point water from the two towns and the surrounding out where water is a problem. areas flow into two large rivers, Gudenå River Before the municipality starts to come up with and Gesager River. Gesager River is already under solutions, they ask the citizens for suggestions pressure, as the area passing Hedensted is flat and that has given the project great value. A local making it difficult for the water to flow. Also, school suggested that the municipality collects Gudenå River is pressured as it drains off a large the water on the school premises to make a water- rural area before reaching Tørring. The two rivers hole, which can be used for teaching. School are already pressured and when the amount of children can catch tadpoles and study the water- rain increases in the future, the rivers will have hole. In this way, the project creates added value increasing difficulties draining off the water. for the local citizens. Another suggestion was to To explore the problems and find possible solu- store the water caused by heavy rain on a football tions, Hedensted Municipality has initiated field which is not in use. Outside the town there sub-project C15, which includes all interested are fields which can be transformed into new citizens in the local community. The municipality wetland areas for recreational activities. finds it important that the local residents under- The municipality has chosen to be objective and stand that both towns and rural areas need to allow the citizens to come up with all kinds of make an effort to solve the climate problems. For suggestions without excluding any of them. Inno- many citizens it would be natural to think that it vative thinking is needed, and the next step is to is fine that the water is just delayed in the rural find out which suggestions can be implemented in area, but it is not that easy. A large rural munic- practice. The calculation model is finished and in ipality like Hedensted has to take all interests the next project phases, citizens’ suggestions will in rural and urban areas into account and they be implemented in the model. This gives the mu- cannot include too much farmland. Thus, some nicipality an idea of the amount of water they are of the climate challenges must also involve the dealing with and how effective the suggestions urban areas. are on a long-term basis. Later, Hedensted Munic- The sub-project focuses on including citizens in ipality plans to implement some of the projects the climate adaptation and providing added value in a number of test areas. The municipality hopes to the local community through the solutions. to find solutions which can be used on a broader The municipality has e.g. made a value catalogue scale by testing different suggestions in smaller describing the added value of different types of parts of the local community. climate initiatives. The municipal calculation mod- els are able to show which areas will be flooded by heavy rain. Citizens must assure the quality of the models by confirming if the water is actually located as predicted by the models. Because the

Scan to watch interview about C15 C2C CC 19 C16 THE CLIMATE RIBBON

Traditionally, flood protection creates a barrier centre, Justesens Plæne, which is frequently used between water and urban areas. In sub-project by citizens, e.g. by students when celebrating C16, Randers Municipality works with the Climate finishing school and for the city annual festival, Ribbon project to avoid this particular scenario Randers Ugen. The green area is located close to when the city will be protected against future the Gudenå River and traditional climate protection storm surges. The Climate Ribbon is a green area would be to build a 2.5-meter dike to protect the running along the Gudenå River through the city grass field from the water. If the municipality of Randers and it will work as flood protection in chooses to build the dike further back and closer the future - without separating the city from the to the road, it can protect the historical part of water and nature. the city against flooding, act as a shield protecting people from road noise, open the area and make The Climate Ribbon is a part of a city development it easier and more inviting for visitors to get really project ”City to the water”, which aims to make close to the water. Moreover, if the dike is placed Randers an attractive river city with many scenic further back, it does not have to be as high as if it areas. The more than six-kilometre green corridor was closer to the water. connects the two natural resorts to the east and west of Randers and at the same time it will pro- Another part of the project involves the gradual tect the city from flooding and storm surges. relocation of the city harbour, which will move The Climate Ribbon is an important part of the from the city centre to facilities east of Randers city development by integrating harbours, green over the next years. This relocation will make city spots, infrastructure, city life and buildings room for new recreational areas in the city centre in the climate adaptation in Randers. The vision close to the Gudenå river. As a bonus, the area will is that future climate adaptation will respect the have an improved ecosystem when freshwater unique nature of the city. from the river and seawater from the fjord meet and create a new water environment. The munic- In this sub-project, Randers has attached great ipality hopes that the new ecosystem will attract importance to including the citizens by inviting new species of fishes, birds and insects. In this them to visit the so-called harbour box, where way, biodiversity will be closer to the city and the different architectural companies present their citizens in Randers will have new recreational ideas for the Climate Ribbon. In addition to get- areas close to the city centre. ting new ideas and comments from the citizens, the municipality has clearly felt how important the climate project is to the citizens of Randers.

In the first phase of C16, Randers has made specific innovative climate solutions and the next step is to realise the projects. The municipality plans to start with an open grass field in the city

Scan to watch interview about C16 C2C CC 21 C17 THYBORØN TOWN AND HARBOUR

The fishing and harbour town Thyborøn on the and which factors can affect the water. What hap- west coast of is challenged by water pens if e.g. a storm water reservoir is built, a canal in many ways – high groundwater level, cloud- or a large pipe? Would this solve the problems? bursts, long-term rain and risk of flooding from Concurrently, the project has also mapped where the Limfjorden and the North Sea. In addition subsidence will occur and thus where pipes will to the threat by weather conditions, the town is collapse. By use of so-called reflectors developed further challenged by sinking – in some places up by a local company, it is possible to know exactly to 1 cm annually. Land subsidence is an increasing where the pipes collapse using satellite measure- challenge for the town. This increases the risk of ments. increasing groundwater levels and flooding of the One of the next steps is to find out what to do town. Moreover, subsidence also causes under- about the collapsed pipes. The municipality and ground drain and water pipes to collapse in the the supply company are close to finding a solution town. to this. Using the dynamic 3Di model, they can In sub-project C17, in col- assess which methods would be most adequate. laboration with Lemvig Utility and Wastewater Regardless of how C17 ends, one thing is certain: Company has developed a dynamic model, which The work is completed in collaboration with a maps the water-related challenges of the town. landscape architect to ensure that solutions are The model describes how the groundwater level not only technically adequate but will also beautify is affected by seawater, wind and subsidence in the town. The same sea and water threatening the town. Subsidence is not a unique problem to the town has been the livelihood of the people Thyborøn, but the geology of the town makes the in the area for more than 100 years. Water and problem highly complex. Large parts of the town Thyborøn are closely connected and citizens are are built on a type of soil that is more likely used to the close contact to the nature. Thus, it to cause subsidence than other types of soil. is important that the project creates added value When the town is sinking, the underground pipes for the town. collapse – pipes worth millions of DKK risk being damaged. The lifetime of a water distribution sys- Thyborøn strongly focuses on tourists, and the tem ought to be 100 years; in Thyborøn it is about project should contribute to improve nature expe- half that time. riences for visitors and local residents. An exam- ple could by canoeing in the lagoon area south of The first part of the sub-project is to get an the town. Basically, it is important that citizens overview of the conditions. Which pipes are in the can get close to the water in the town, by the ground and how do they work? How does the wa- fjord and the sea, and that the town is protected ter flow? What happens when it rains and where against climate changes at the same time. does the water collect? The project is based on the Dutch 3Di model, which can make ”what if” scenarios by simulating how the water will react

Scan to watch interview about C17 C2C CC 23 C18 CITIZEN-DRIVEN CLIMATE ADAPTATION IN JUELSMINDE

Juelsminde is a small town in eastern Jutland A large group of people at a public meeting stretching to the sea with the Kattegat on the one showed an interest in the project and wished side and the on the other. Juelsminde to be a part of the working group dealing with is a low-lying town surrounded by sea and is thus climate adaptation of the town. A group of 27 particularly vulnerable to future climate changes. citizens from the working group was reduced to The coastline is low and in some parts of the town nine persons, broadly representing the citizens of elevation is 0; if the water floods the area it can Juelsminde. This group will define a common un- cause considerable damage. According to calcula- derstanding of the climate changes in Juelsminde tions from the Danish Coastal Authority, a water and present suggestions for solutions ensuring level of 1.8 m can cause damages amounting to that the town can continue to develop. DKK 2.2 billion in Juelsminde alone. In collaboration with the Danish Coastal Authority Both home and summer house owners, business and Realdania, a business association with the and industry will be affected by climate changes purpose of creating quality of life through the such as flooding of basements and problems built environment, Hedensted Municipality is now draining off rain and wastewater. Moreover, the looking into different solutions to the climate changes have considerably affected how and issues in Juelsminde. After this, the dike associ- where it is possible to build new residences in the ation will decide which ideas to work with and future. More than 1000 buildings in the area are adapt them to fit the needs of the town. The low-lying and risk being flooded. municipality trusts the citizens with knowledge of the local community to make these decisions. To find solutions to how to protect Juelsminde from climate changes, Hedensted Municipality The Coast to Coast Climate Challenge project has has initiated two concurrent projects – a scientific been a big inspiration in the first phases of the and a citizen-driven project. While VIA University sub-project. A study visit to Holland has inspired College makes scientific measurements in the the municipality on how to collaborate with the area studying the interaction between sea wa- citizens in Juelsminde. Inspired by a Dutch project, ter and groundwater, the municipality has mo- the municipality now contacts citizens directly if bilised citizens and the business community. In the citizens are dissatisfied or feel neglected in the citizen-driven part of the project, Hedensted the process. This has given good discussions and Municipality has turned the usual process upside exchanges of experiences and everybody has felt down: Instead of starting the climate project at the they have been taken seriously. desk and establish a dike association, the munici- pality started by establishing the dike association. In this way, an appointed group of citizens was ready to collaborate already from the start of the project.

Scan to watch interview about C18 C2C CC 25 C19 LOCAL DIRECTION OF FLOW OF RAINWATER USED AS RECREATIONAL ELEMENTS

The unique nature at the island of Samsø is an making it impossible for the rain to flow through important factor in the municipality’s effort to the streams. Instead, the water is pressured into protect the island from current and future climate the hinterland. changes. The nature and the biodiversity are Some of the focus areas are Sørenden, Traneb- included when considering how to protect against jerg Mose, Besser Made and Samsø Golf Club. increasing amounts of heavy rain and solutions The four locations share a huge hinterland and it involving recreational facilities are paramount. makes sense to find a common solution. Sub-project C19 has two main purposes: One is At the golf club, it is possible to let the water from to manage the water caused by heavy rain; the the current stream run across the golf course and other purpose is to use the water for recreational maybe make a reservoir catchment on the other purposes instead of just trying to get rid of it. By side of the golf course. In other parts of the area, local direction of flow of rainwater, Samsø Munici- new catchment ponds can create new recreation- pality will use surplus water to create added value al areas benefitting the bird life and creating a through establishment of recreational areas and richer biodiversity. other initiatives increasing the biodiversity of the island. Collection of large amounts of rainwater Another benefit of the project is the improved may also benefit farmers on the island. Generally, energy efficiency. The pumping station releases Samsø gets a lower amount of rainwater than 2.5-2.8 million cubic metres of water into the other parts of Denmark and during extreme heat Kattegat, and in peak periods the station has an in the summer, is it often difficult for farmers to extremely high consumption of power. By storing irrigate their crops due to the shortage of acces- the water, the pumps do not have to work so hard. sible water on the island. In dry periods, the farm- Another benefit concerns the former seabed areas. ers have to apply for a dispensation to pump up Today, they consist of peat constantly releasing extra water from the field crop irrigation systems. carbon dioxide. By flooding these areas with wa- This is very costly for the farmers. That is why the ter, the release of CO2 will stop. municipality is looking for places to store rainwater until the farmers need it.

In the first phase of the sub-project, Samsø Municipality has made hydraulic meas- urements on the island and outlined different climate scenarios. In this way, they have been able to analyse where to place the catchment ponds for storage of rainwater. The biggest climate challenges on the island happen when a period with substantial amounts of rain pressuring the small streams is combined with a high water level

Scan to watch interview about C19 C2C CC 27 C20 AQUAGLOBE

One of the two beacons in the Coast to Coast cores from the ice cap showing how the climate Climate Challenge (C2C CC) is AquaGlobe in Skan- and nature has developed and changed over derborg. The task of this innovative water centre time. The exhibitions at AquaGlobe do not have is to find and deliver solutions to ensure access to to be static, they can tour around the country. An clean water for everybody. AquaGlobe is a collab- example of this was the National Conference on oration between Skanderborg Utility Company Climate Adaptation in Horsens in 2019. and 15 different partners; some of the partners In addition to the exhibitions on tour and the are major stakeholders in the water business physical exhibitions in the building, AquaGlobe can such as Kamstrup, AVK, Suez and Grundfos. One also help to inform about the C2C CC projects on- of the purposes of AquaGlobe is to test, develop line. At the Skanderborg Utility Company website, and optimise new products for the partners; on citizens and other interested can read about the the other hand, the products of the partners current climate adaptation projects in Skander- contribute to making the systems at Skanderborg borg Municipality. Right now, you can find texts, Untility Company more effective, cost-efficient photos and maps that tell about and visualise a and sustainable. project to protect the area around the Skanderup In addition to collaborating with the 15 partners on Brook from flooding. new technologies, AquaGlobe is also used as show- In the same way, AquaGlobe will in the future be a room and a place to inform about the projects in the platform for informing about the sub-projects in entire C2C CC project. All the sub-projects in C2C CC the C2C CC project. use AquaGlobe as a platform to inform about their efforts in climate adaptation. One of the next By being a part of the C2C CC project, AquaGlobe steps in C20 is that AquaGlobe together with the has been included in several strong networks on Climatorium and Central Denmark Region visits all climate adaptation. Especially, the other beacon the sub-projects in the C2C CC project to find out in the C2C CC project, the Climatorium in Lemvig, how they can help municipalities and their col- has been beneficial as both projects focus on laborators to inform and communicate about the gathering the same stakeholders at the same ge- many climate projects. ographical locations. AquaGlobe works with fresh water and the hinterland; the Climatorium works AquaGlobe has already had an exhibition about broadly within green transition with focus on the sub-project C24 involving Aarhus University and coast and sea water. In this way the two beacons Moesgaard Museum. The sub-project investigates collaborate and supplement each other creating the association between climate changes and cul- and communicating good climate adaptation tural heritage and how focus on our history can solutions in Denmark. engage citizens in climate issues. The exhibition shows how scientific methods can illustrate how the climate has changed historically. This could be illustrated by the growth rings of old trees or ice

Scan to watch interview about C20 C2C CC 29 C21 CLIMATORIUM

In Lemvig, they work at full throttle to finish one means that the town sinks 2-7 mm every year of two beacons in the Coast to Coast Climate causing considerable damage to the underground Challenge (C2C CC) project, the Climatorium. The drainage system. In collaboration with a local innovative climate centre is situated in an area company, the municipality has set up so-called facing the most severe climate challenges. reflectors using satellite data to monitor where subsidence will occur and where they risk damag- The Climatorium is a direct effect of the C2C CC ing the drainage system. project and the idea was already formed at the beginning when meeting with Central Denmark The Climatorium helps to communicate climate Region in 2015. The Climatorium is based on a so- solutions from local companies, to develop their called quadruple helix model where universities, products and export them to the rest of the private and public companies and the civil society world. In this way, climate challenges in Lemvig collaborate to find solutions to a problem. Four contribute to creating new jobs in the local com- universities participate in the project and a num- munity and develop new solutions, which many be ber of private companies have shown an interest useful in both Denmark and abroad. The Clima- in the Climatorium. torium is already becoming an export article. In 2018, a delegation visiting from New Zealand was A number of workshops have already been held inspired by the project in Lemvig and the hope is to show citizens how the project has progressed that the city of Nelson in New Zealand will get its and what they can expect from the Climatorium. own version the Danish Climatorium in the future. In this way, citizens are included and engaged Until then, the plan is that the two cities on two from the start of the project. continents collaborate and share the knowledge The climate centre is established as an associa- they can collect on climate and climate changes. tion where citizens, authorities, companies and The physical building in Lemvig is finished in knowledge institutions can meet. One of the tasks August 2020, and the opening will be marked by a of the Climatorium is to inform about the different climate conference. The Climatorium is available sub-projects in C2C CC. This is done through to citizens and companies. The building has office teaching and exhibitions, which may consist of spaces and an exhibition area communicating small films and virtual reality encouraging citizens knowledge on both climate changes and climate to come out and take a closer look at the C2C CC solutions. sub-projects.

Many of the projects at the Climatorium are root- ed in the local community. The Climatorium e.g. is trying to find solutions to the challenges faced by Thyborøn concerning subsidence. The many subsidences in the town occur because Thyborøn is located directly on the former riverbed. This

Scan to watch interview about C21 C2C CC 31 C22 PERMEABLE ROAD SURFACES

Already a few months after initiating the the asphalt. The more rain, the more heat the Coast to Coast Climate Challenge (C2C CC) project, road can produce. The energy from the rainwater Hedensted Municipality in collaboration with VIA is used to for heating of a childcare centre on the University College in Horsens started establishing Climate road in Hedensted. the Climate road, which is a 50-metre stretch of The sub-project is a close collaboration between road in Dalby outside Hedensted, to manage rain- Hedensted Municipality and VIA University College water in a new way. in Horsens providing the necessary knowledge The innovative road is both a climate adaptation and data. Moreover, students at VIA University solution and a way to prevent climate changes. College have been involved in several student The road can direct and collect large amounts of projects connected to the Climate road. rainwater after storm surges while using the rain- The experiment with the Climate road goes water for green energy in buildings in the area by much further than from Horsens to Hedensted. installing underground geothermal heating pipes. Through the C2C CC project, the project has Moreover, the Climate road is also an ordinary spread beyond the Danish border. The idea is very road in the residential area. popular and in New Zealand, they plan to estab- The Climate road is used to manage rainwater in lish a climate road in 2020 inspired by the Danish places where other solutions for climate adap- project. This sub-project has generated new pro- tation such as lack of space for rainwater catch- jects and the next step is to establish a Thermo- ment ponds have failed. It does not take up extra road, which is a further development of the Cli- space compared to an ordinary road and is a very mate road. The new thing is that the Thermo- useful solution in densely populated residential road can produce cooling. In this way the road areas where space is limited, and the rainwater is can both heat and cool connected houses while inconvenient for the local citizens. In an ordinary managing the water. asphalt road, the rainwater is directed away from In Lemvig, the Climatorium is investigating other the road; water on the Climate road, which has a ways in which the Climate road can contribute. so-called permeable coating, seeps down through This is done as a part of a PhD project in collabo- the asphalt to a reservoir with room for storage ration with C2C CC, Lemvig Utility Company, VIA of large amounts of water. In this way the munic- University College, the construction and property ipality can avoid straining the drainage system development company NCC and Aalborg University. during heavy storm surges causing flooding of By establishing a test centre similar to the Climate the area. road, the project investigates how the road can The sub-project is also testing how energy in the remove microplastics from the water. rainwater can be used for heating of the connected buildings. The Climate road in Hedensted is equipped with geothermal heating pipes, which are warmed up by the rainwater seeping through

Scan to watch interview about C22 C2C CC 33 C23 POTENTIALS FOR INCREASED INFILTRATION

Overall, the risk of flooding in Denmark has in- The project has not only benefitted urban plan- creased as a consequence of climate changes in ning; students at VIA University College in Hors- recent years. This is challenging for municipalities ens have gained considerable practical experi- when planning and developing new residential ence and the data generated in the project can areas. In the cities, the large amounts of rainwater also be used for research. Moreover, the analyses are managed in ways that cause as little damage and results of the project have been used to write to buildings, roads and drainage systems as pos- articles and for student teaching resources. sible; this necessitates innovative thinking by the One of the next steps in sub-project C23 is to make municipalities to find solutions that make sense. In instructions describing how the municipality can Horsens, the development is fast and in sub-project use the knowledge collected from the sub-project C23, the municipality collaborates with VIA University in the planning of new residential areas. The re- College to investigate how to manage rainwater in sults can e.g. be incorporated as guidelines in the new property subdivisions in the city. The project next revision of the local authority plans. investigates the ability of the soil to absorb rainwa- ter, which is also called infiltration capacity. The results can be used by municipalities, investors and property developers as well as by citizens The large amounts of rainwater risk straining the who will get access to a map showing where drainage system in the city and Horsens Munici- infiltration of the water is possible. Another step is pality will allow the water to be absorbed locally. to study similarities between municipalities, which The type of soil determines whether absorption may result in instructions across municipalities. In is the best method. Using geophysical studies, this way, this sub-project may also benefit other the project maps where and how the rainwater is municipalities in the region and enable them to absorbed in the soil in the different parts of the work in the same way. planned residential areas. These studies show in detail how the soil is composed at a depth of 5-10 metres and can give a precise description of stones and gravel below the surface.

Since the project started, Horsens Municipality and VIA University College have been busy doing field work. They have studied selected pilot areas, made drillings and run infiltration tests. The results of the sub-project have already been used, because Horsens is developing very fast and several of the residential areas have already been built. Decisions on infiltration of the rainwater in the different parts of the residential areas have been based on data from sub-project C23.

Scan to watch interview about C23 C2C CC 35 C24 CLIMATE HISTORY | CULTURAL HISTORY

Talking about climate changes can be difficult for So far, the project has resulted in a number of many and it may be difficult to relate to the prob- case studies from the region on how climate lems. Research shows that people do not react to changes have affected the development of soci- intangible numbers and reports, but narratives can ety in the area. This material has been used for Aarhus year 0 make the debate about the climate more present different activities e.g. a larger workshop with and relevant to the ordinary citizen. There is a clear foreign guests and partners from the municipal- connection between local identity and historical ity. A manual has been made providing specific narratives; Aarhus University and Moesgaard instructions on how to include the environmental Museum use this connection to inform about and history of the area in current climate adaptation debate climate challenges, solutions and knowledge problems. The manual can be used by the other close to the citizens. Narratives about how human partners in the Coast to Coast Climate Challenge beings have previously managed climate changes (C2C CC) project as well as internationally. Climate can be used as a starting point for discussing future challenges are often similar, especially in Europe climate solutions, which affect citizens’ behaviour but also in the rest of the world. and engage them in regional climate adaptation. Another result of the C24 sub-project is a micro- The purpose of sub-project C24 is to develop our exhibition at AquaGlobe in Skanderborg, where understanding of climate changes and the cultur- the different C2C CC projects are presented. A al impact that climate changes have on our soci- number of scientific articles originates from C24 ety and our lives. Using archaeological and mete- and the project has contributed to a large national orological data, Aarhus University maps how past project on the history of Denmark citizens in Central Denmark Region have managed (danmarkshistorien.dk). Aarhus year 1200 climate changes. In this way, it is possible to find small stories related to climate in the region from Skanderborg Lake to the Gudenå River and the coast of Juelsminde. The sub-project establishes an overview of the associations between people, society and climate with focus on the local area. When we know how people have related to and understood previous climate changes and their consequences, it can provide valuable insight into the kind of changes currently affecting our society, culture and minds. According to Aarhus University, it also increases our awareness of the relation between nature and culture, to find sus- tainable solutions to the climate changes we will face in the future.

Aarhus year 1500

Scan to watch interview about C24 C2C CC 37 Indledning...... 3

C8 - Håb to Håb – Hedensted Municipality...... 5 Photo: Dronefoto, Hedensted Municipality C9 - Thyborøn Channel and the western Limfjord...... 7 Illustration: Lemvig Municipality C10 - The Grenaa Stream and hinterland...... 9 Photo: Norddjurs Municipality, Peter Holm, AquaDjurs A/S C11 - The Randers Fjord...... 11 Photo: Luftfoto, Norddjurs Municipality C12 - The Gudenå River...... 13 Photo: Morten Balle C13 - The River Storå...... 15 Photo: Morten Balle C14 - Horsens City Centre...... 17 Photo: Horsens Municipality C15 - Climate adaptation in Hedensted and Tørring...... 19 Photo: Hedensted Municipality, hedenstederne.dk C16 - The Climate Ribbon...... 21 Illustration: Randers Municipality, Team SLA C17 - Thyborøn Town and Harbour...... 23 Photo: lemvig.eu C18 - Citizen-driven climate adaptation in Juelsminde...... 25 Photo: Knud Erik Christensen, colourbox.dk C19 - Local direction of flow of rainwater used as recreational elements...... 27 Photo: Samsø Municipality C20 - AquaGlobe...... 29 Photo: AquaGlobe, Per Bille C21 - Climatorium...... 31 Illustration: 3XN Architects C22 - Permeable road surfaces...... 33 Photo: VIA University College C23 - Potentials for increased infiltration...... 35 Photo: colourbox.dk C24 - Climate history | Cultural history...... 37 Illustration: Erik Sørensen, pre-study for his book ’Aarhus from ice age to present’

C2C CC 39 Coast to Coast Climate Challenge (C2C CC) consists of 24 subprojects focusing on sea and fjord, watercourses, rainwater and groundwater as well as governance, new tools and innovation.

The project is halfway through and all 24 sub- projects are up and running.

This report is a status of the progress of all 24 sub-projects as well as plans until the project is concluded in December 2022.